Release Order Recommended
0 / 9 playedHow the games released. Recommended for a first play.
Chronological Order
0 / 8 playedSame games per Capcom's timeline. Better as a replay.
About Ace Attorney
Ace Attorney starts with Phoenix Wright's trilogy: the 2001 original, Justice for All in 2002 and Trials and Tribulations in 2004, which together close Mia and Godot's arcs. Apollo Justice from 2007 jumps seven years to a disbarred Phoenix mentoring Apollo, then Investigations in 2009 and its 2011 sequel follow Edgeworth between those eras. Dual Destinies in 2013 and Spirit of Justice in 2016 reunite Phoenix and Apollo through the Dark Age of the Law.
The Great Ace Attorney duology steps back a century to Ryunosuke Naruhodo, Phoenix's ancestor, and sits first in story despite releasing last in the West. Capcom's own timeline confirms that order, with the Layton crossover as a non-canon side story. Release order is still recommended first, since the Great duology was written for veterans.
Good to know
Start in release order with the Phoenix trilogy, which the whole series assumes. Investigations pair slots between Trials and Apollo in story but plays better after Apollo, since it spoils the disbarment setup otherwise. Save the Great Ace Attorney duology for after Spirit of Justice: its Victorian cases hit harder once the Wright bloodline matters. The Layton crossover is optional and outside canon, so it never blocks the main path.
